Team 7
by Slump
Summary: Sakura's journey starts on a Fire-Nation slave ship. She's an earthbender, and forced to fuel the firebender's ship with coal. That all changed however, when a large iceberg surfaced from the deep ocean. (Possibilities are endless in this story, I'm welcome to harsh critiques. Will not feature Avatar characters. Unsure of pairing.)


Sakura laid on the cool metal, drinking in the beautiful luminescent stars above her. If there was one thing she didn't mind about being trapped on a Fire-Nation ship, it was that the guards made them sleep outside.

She sat up and twisted her back, and sighed in delight as she felt her spine realign. Even though camping out on a metal ship deck was romantic and all, it made her lower back feel like it had aged fifty years.

The thin, grass weaved blanket that had protected little of the harsh, atlantic ocean winds was now tossed aside. Sakura stood up and looked around at her fellow Earth-Nation slaves who're all curled up in tiny balls and huddled close together.

The sun slowly started to creep on the horizon, erasing some of the distant stars. A large horn sounded, waking the captive earthbenders.

A blonde haired woman, who had a purple diamond tattoo on her forehead, strode up to the pink haired girl. She wore the average slave tunic. "Sakura, I see you had trouble sleeping as well."

Sakura brightening at the sight of a familiar face. The ship was small, considering the other military ships she's had the misfortune of seeing, but there were many Earth-Nation civilians onboard. The majority, most likely, but Sakura hadn't had the fortune of making friends with anyone. The exception of her teacher, who she had known before both of their capture.

The sixteen year old girl ran a hand across her face, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Good morning, teacher."

Tsunade smiled gently, "are you prepared for tonight?"

Sakura's green eyes matched the yellow iris of Tsunade's. The unsaid words were exchanged and they both nodded. "No matter what happens, we're going to kick some ass."

"I want to see that charcoal burn, not sit there!"

All heads turned to the sky where two Fire-Nation guards stood on top of a balcony that overlooked the slave deck. Between the two guards stood the captain, who poised as if he wielded the entire power of the world in his palms.

But he was skinny, scrawny, and had a cowardly face that Sakura itched to pound in with her dirty knuckles. The hatred she felt for that man was unrivaled and she swore to herself that she would be the one that would stab a piece of flint in between his soulless eyes. If not her, then it wouldn't be long before karma came in with a sword and chopped his balls off.

She grinned at the thought, but squared up as the captain pinned his glassy eyes on her. She immediately, albeit reluctantly, turned her back and ran to the ship's coal burner where a line of earthbenders were positioned at. With a calculating gaze, she observed their jutted, but fluid movement as they lifted the hundred pounds of black coal into the air. With simultaneous precision, the earthbenders thrusted their fists forward and sent the levitating pile of coal into the burner.

Everyday was like this, the same routine. Wake up, burn coal, eat sloppy gruel, burn coal, and sleep. Sakura'd be damned it she continued on like this for another day. It wasn't a life, not a life she pictured having months ago. Hell, she was a straight A student in her class and had a mother and father who loved and supported her. Sakura thought she was going to be ... someone.

"That fire isn't hot enough to singe my leg hair! Work faster!" A crack of the whip sounded throughout the ship. A pain filled scream followed. Sakura flinched and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to stay focused.

Another crack, and then another.

"What're you all looking at, huh?!" The guard yelled, the whip in his hand coated in dark red. A man laid writhing beneath his feet, twitching in agony, his brown slave tunic painted in blood.

They forced themselves to push harder, the sweat from their brow dripping off their skin like a leaking faucet. The guards, satisfied, finally retreated back into their dens with hot coffee and a warm bed awaiting for them.

Sakura watched with a fire in her eyes as her teacher bent over the broken man. She approached Tsunade, who was using a torn piece of her tunic to patch up his scarred back.

"I am going _now."_

_"_You will go when I say, do you understand me?" Tsunade retorted quickly, as if expecting a retaliation from the young girl. She turned around from her patient and glared down impatiently at Sakura, who was stubbornly matching her heated gaze.

"I can't take more than a second on this goddamn ship."

"We have wait until an opening arrives."

"You know there's never going to be one!" Sakura whispered harshly back, determined to convince her teacher. "You promised me tonight."

"I intend to keep it, but tonight isn't right now." Tsunade exhaled a frustrated sigh, trying to keep her own emotions in check. Naturally, she was a hot-head, and with a little spitfire like Sakura always hanging around her, she always managed to lose her temper.

"Fine," Sakura spat. She felt as if something had grown cold deep within her, as if a part of her had died.

As she went to stalk off back to the coal burner, she lingered her gaze on the Fire-Nation watchman. He stood there with whip in hand, leaning lazily on the ship's railing. Her fingers twitched and a ghost of a smile spread across her pale face.

The guard noticed the young girl approach him and he rose to stand on his two feet, raising his whip. "Get back to your station!" He barked.

Sakura threw her arm out and concentrated on lifting the coal that was burning inside the ship. She tried to ignore the guard's footsteps coming for her. He stood a few feet away from her as he raised his whip in impatience.

_Now!_

Her arm swept across his chest as if to cut him, but instead fire encased his suit. Heavy pounds of burning charcoal encased him. His scream ringed in her ears. Sakura took another pile of coal and flung it at him, throwing him off the ship and into the ocean.

As soon as she heard the splash beneath the ship, an alarm rang.

A hand gripped her shoulder. Sakura whirled around, fists held high, but paused as she recognized Tsunade.

"What the hell do you think you're doing! You're going to get us all killed! You stupid girl!" She yelled, her face practically red from her rage. "When I said wait, I meant -"

At least twenty men marched out onto the deck, fire burning in their hands and in the offensive position. Sakura strayed her gaze away from her teacher's and looked to the sky. She saw him, the captain, leaning over the balcony's railing.

"Kill her! I want her burnt to a crisp!" He screamed, pointing his bony finger at Sakura's figure.

The Earth-Nation slaves backed away from the fight, confused, and unsure of what to do.

Tsunade stood protectively in front of her student, raising her hands and juggling coal with her fingers. Sakura stood, gaping at her teacher, surprised at her course of action. But she quickly shook it off and also took position beside her, bending a group of coal and molding it into a giant rock.

Like a giant wave, the firebenders attacked, arms pumping forward, legs sweeping across in fluid movements. Tsunade erected a giant wall of coal to block the fire from reaching them.

Tsunade punched the barrier of coal and a small chunk of coal, the size of a bullet, flew out the other side and punctured the armor of a firebender. "Keep rebuilding the wall with more coal!" She ordered Sakura, who was already earthbending the ship's coal supply and patching the missing pieces of the barrier.

"Do you really think that'll work?" Sakura heard the captain's voice yell.

Sakura watched in the corner of her eye as the firebenders closed in on them. Tsunade, working like a machine gun, started slowing down.

"Keep going!" Sakura fell to the ground, avoiding a fireball. She swept her arms up and managed to knock a firebender off the railing. Another guard fired at her, but she got behind Tsunade's wall of coal, breathing heavily.

Sakura poked her head past the wall and stared at the earthbenders who were all on their knees and their hands on their head, already giving up. "What're you doing?!" She screamed, practically begging for them. "You're Earth-Nation-"

"Sakura, look out!"

She felt her tunic being tugged harshly, and she fell back. A large fireball crashed into the railing behind her, melting the metal. Then, the barrier of coal started to burn, catching on fire and slowly melting to the floor. Both of them stood naked, facing the army of Fire-Nation soldiers who stood poised and ready to kill. Tsunade pushed Sakura behind her.

The captian was now standing in front of them, a smug look on his face. "I will have the pleasure of watching you fry." He raised his hand, fire burning uncontrollably in his palm.

No, this was wrong. She was supposed to be the one looming over him, rocks in hand, ready to end _his_ pathetic life. Her eyes grew wide in terror, fear causing shivers to crawl under her skin like little ants.

The entire ship rocked, almost tipping all of them off the rail. It tipped again, but more rough this time, in the other direction. Sakura couldn't stop herself from falling over her teacher, who tried her best to support the weight of both of them.

"What?" The captain suddenly blurted, he was down on all fours, trying to get a grip on something. "Report! What the hell was that!"

Sakura, eyes gleaming, took this moment, and with all her strength, to earthbend the chunks of coal that was left in the burner and thrust it at the captain. She sent him careening down the ship's haul and into the water.

A pause. "You bitch!" A firebender yelled, but froze and stared past her figure. Sakura followed his gaze, and with mouth hung open, watched as a giant iceberg surfaced.


End file.
